


An Understanding Reached

by Secrethomeworkassignment



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-10-05 22:34:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20496419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Secrethomeworkassignment/pseuds/Secrethomeworkassignment
Summary: Cullen makes a move to prepare the Herald for battle and perhaps secure her trust





	An Understanding Reached

Snow fell gently on the training yard as Grace paced back and forth to keep the blood flowing to her extremities. Cassandra would want her to be running laps, but Grace felt ridiculous when she ran. She had been taught from a young age that a lady glides like a swan over still water- running made her feel like a druffalo charging through the mud. 

Grace was beginning to grow concerned. Cassandra was nothing if not punctual, and she had been waiting now for some time. She didn’t normally look forward to their training sessions, but she was losing feeling in her fingers, and at least the exercise would warm her up. 

Cassandra had decided that if Grace was going to be in the field closing rifts, she would have to be instructed in basic survival and combat tactics. She was a competent mage, but she had never even seen a brawl before joining the Inquisition, and the Circle hadn’t exactly encouraged its students to explore the martial applications of their skills. 

Grace was surprised to see the Commander approaching her from the direction of the requisitions tent. Cullen had given her a wide berth since their last conversation took a chilly turn. Grace assumed he had been sent with an explanation for why Cassandra was running uncharacteristically late. She greeted him with a nod and a perfunctory “Good morning, Commander.”

“Good morning, my lady.” Answered Cullen. “Are you ready to begin?”

Grace regarded him with wide eyed indignation, but the Commander didn’t seem to notice. He had taken a set of leather training armor out of the shed and was already strapping in. 

“Forgive me, Commander, but is Seeker Cassandra not available?” 

Cullen looked up at her from where he sat on a log buckling his greaves. 

“It’s just that, we seemed to be making progress, and I expected that we would continue our regime.” 

“The Seeker has been called away on business, but I’m sure you’ll resume your lessons when she returns.” The Commander had picked out a wooden quarterstaff and was testing its weight. “Actually, there was something she asked me to address with you since we have the opportunity. Do you have your staff with you?”

Grace nodded and took up Moonstruck from where it was leaning against the fence. She used the hem of her cloak to wipe the frost from its slender steel haft. She wasn’t sure where this was going, but she didn’t like it. Training with the Seeker was challenging enough- Cassandra didn’t baby her, and it had been a steep learning curve for a noble woman with no combat experience. The Commander was a head taller than she was and about four stone heavier, a battle tested Templar, and that was entirely apart from the fact that she trusted him about as far as she could throw him, which was not at all. 

“Good. The Seeker’s last report mentioned an incident with a group of bandits you encountered on the East Road outside Redcliff.”

Grace groaned inwardly. 

“The report said it was a narrow escape.” The Commander continued. “Can you tell me what happened?”

Grace did not appreciate having to explain herself to this man. 

“There were five men. Cassandra and Blackwell had engaged them head on and Varric and I were providing supportive fire from the trees.” 

“Indeed. What happened then?”

Grace reddened. This was humiliating. “A sixth man attacked from behind and grabbed me.”

“And what did you do?”

If he had read the report, why did he bother to ask?

“I attempted, but was unable, to break free. Varric pursued us, there was a scuffle, eventually Cassandra took notice and came after us and I was able to escape.” 

“Why didn’t you use magic to rebuff your attacker?”

“I tried. It didn’t deter him.”

“You must not have tried very hard. I’ve seen you take out multiple demons with a single blast. I find it hard to believe you couldn’t fight off a single human man. The Seeker agrees with me, she was concerned. It’s fortunate your attacker opted to try for a ransom rather than simply cutting your throat.” 

Grace could feel the blood pulsing in her cheeks. It was a cold morning, but her face was hot with anger at being questioned in this way. She reminded herself that as a member of the Inquisition, she was technically under this man’s command. She knew she didn’t have a good explanation for her actions that day. 

“The magic is difficult to control.”

The Commander nodded and pursed his lips. “A person is different than a demon, is that it?” 

Grace didn’t answer, but she didn’t have to. 

“My lady, it is hardly our intention to turn you into an indiscriminate killer. Restraint is an essential quality in a warrior, and one that will serve you well. At the same time, this is a war, and you must be able to defend yourself. Cassandra won’t always be there, and even when she is, it is not an ideal situation for her to put herself in danger protecting you. Do you understand?” 

Grace nodded. She resented hearing it from him, but he wasn’t wrong. 

Cullen backed up a few paces. “Use your powers. Hit me.”

Grace frowned, surprised at his request. When she trained with Cassandra, it was strictly breaking holds and using her staff to parry a blade. She never engaged her magic. 

“Commander…”

“Take a moment to rally as you would before a battle and take a shot.” He planted his feet firmly in the snow. “Don’t worry, you won’t kill me. You will, however, hurt me. That’s an order.” 

Grace hesitated, she had put so much effort into restraint, being ordered to let go seemed nothing short of madness. But orders, she supposed, were orders. She took a deep breath and drew the energy up through her fingertips. It flowed in through the soles of her feet as well, and she felt the pressure change. The winter air warmed rapidly around her, it crackled as if with a charge. She focused her energy on the man before her. He was a strong oak tree with deep roots, tall and proud. She was the storm. 

Tongues of blue lighting burst forth from her outstretched hands and hit Cullen squarely in the chest, knocking him back with a sharp cry of pain. He was clearly under some sort of warding spell, but the shock had hurt him nonetheless. He stumbled before regaining his footing in the snow. 

“Good. Again.”

Grace felt she should protest, but something in her had awakened, and she found that she didn’t want to stop. She wasn’t ready. The snow had turned to rain in the vicinity of the training yard and was slowly transforming it into a sea of mud. She had built up a charge, so the next surge was easy. It connected with the Commander’s body with a crack before enveloping him in tendrils of electricity that crackled over his leather armor and singed his hair. He grimaced, but this time he kept his footing. 

“Good. I’m going to attack you. Bring me down.”

The Commander grappled her. He was quick and terribly strong. He was behind her with the quarterstaff held fast against her chest before she could even react, but the contact was exactly what she needed. With a sharp gasp, she inhaled, visualizing the heat being drawn out of the Commander’s body and into her well of energy. His grasp weakened, and he fell to his knees, dragging her down with him into the mud. She wrested herself away from him.

“Now finish it.” He commanded. 

She looked at him. His face was blanched and contorted with pain. Blood glistened under his nose. “We should stop.”

The Commander shook his head weakly. “No, not until I’m down. As long as I’m conscious, I’m a threat.” When Grace didn’t move, he grabbed her by the wrists and pulled her toward him, close enough to whisper in her ear. “Have you forgotten who I am, mage?”

And with a sickening snap of energy he was down, blood trickling down his face and seeping into the slush. 

Grace knelt next to her prone opponent, shocked at what she had done. She felt panic rising in her chest- he was breathing, thank the Maker, but she could have permanently damaged him. Had he told anyone what he had planned for this morning? Or would people think she had simply gone mad and attacked him? 

“Healer!” She cried out. “Someone fetch the healer!”

It took much less time than she expected for Adan to emerge from the trees with two recruits bearing a stretcher. Adan shook his head as the recruits hoisted Cullen up off the ground. 

“I certainly hope he’s not planning on making this a regular thing.” Mused the healer. “Once is fine. Probably. Any more than that and we’re gonna have a problem.” 

Later that evening, Grace sat by the Commander’s cot in the infirmary, watching the muscles in his face move as he dreamt. She had brought a book, but she was too caught up in thinking about the events of that morning to focus. It had frightened her, what she was asked to do, but she couldn’t deny that there was something else. It overwhelmed her with guilt to even think it, but she had never felt so free. In spite of her abilities, she had spent most of her life feeling helpless, always suppressing, always holding back. But this morning, with one of Thedas’s most infamous Templars on his knees before her, she was anything but helpless. She was just about to leave him be and return to her cabin when his eyes fluttered open. 

“Lady Trevelyan.” He mustered a smile. “Well done.”

“Commander. I’m so terribly sorry.”

Cullen tried to laugh which sent him in to a fit of coughing. “What for? You carried out my instructions admirably.” 

Grace couldn’t help but smile. She let him recover. 

“Commander,” she asked, “the last time we spoke, you were about to tell me why you left the Order. I confess, I am curious.”

Cullen’s face grew thoughtful. He sighed. 

“The last time we spoke, I was fishing for excuses. I left the Order because I recognized that a great deal of what we were doing in the name of security was wrong. It was only a matter of time before the mages rebelled because we pushed them to it, and I was part of that. I looked in the mirror, and I didn’t like the man I saw.” 

Grace searched the Commander’s face for any sign of deceit, but found none. 

“I appreciate your candor." She replied. "I suppose if we’re going to be on the same side of this conflict, we ought to trust one another.”

Cullen smiled. “My lady, I couldn’t agree more.”


End file.
